# CVE-2024-4741: Use After Free with SSL_free_buffers > Attackers can trigger a use-after-free in OpenSSL's SSL_free_buffers function, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or crashes in applications that explicitly call this rarely used API. - **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Not needed - **Attackable:** Over the internet - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 13 Nov 2024 - **Updated:** 4 Nov 2025 - **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2024-4741, AZL-42952, AZL-52910, AZL-52983, AZL-78564, BELL-CVE-2024-4741, CLEANSTART-2026-EV69092, CLSA-2024-1735119353, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-4741, GHSA-6vgq-8qjq-h578, JLSEC-2026-251, OESA-2024-1697, OESA-2024-1698, OESA-2024-1720, OESA-2024-1721, ROOT-OS-ALPINE-315-CVE-2024-4741, SUSE-SU-2024:2020-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2035-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2036-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2051-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2051-2, SUSE-SU-2024:2059-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2088-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2089-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2197-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2271-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-4741 ## What is CVE-2024-4741? CVE-2024-4741 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in OpenSSL, published on 13 Nov 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. ### Official description Issue summary: Calling the OpenSSL API function SSL_free_buffers may cause memory to be accessed that was previously freed in some situations Impact summary: A use after free can have a range of potential consequences such as the corruption of valid data, crashes or execution of arbitrary code. However, only applications that directly call the SSL_free_buffers function are affected by this issue. Applications that do not call this function are not vulnerable. Our investigations indicate that this function is rarely used by applications. The SSL_free_buffers function is used to free the internal OpenSSL buffer used when processing an incoming record from the network. The call is only expected to succeed if the buffer is not currently in use. However, two scenarios have been identified where the buffer is freed even when still in use. The first scenario occurs where a record header has been received from the network and processed by OpenSSL, but the full record body has not yet arrived. In this case calling SSL_free_buffers will succeed even though a record has only been partially processed and the buffer is still in use. The second scenario occurs where a full record containing application data has been received and processed by OpenSSL but the application has only read part of this data. Again a call to SSL_free_buffers will succeed even though the buffer is still in use. While these scenarios could occur accidentally during normal operation a malicious attacker could attempt to engineer a stituation where this occurs. We are not aware of this issue being actively exploited. The FIPS modules in 3.3, 3.2, 3.1 and 3.0 are not affected by this issue. Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-4741? | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Enterprise Storage 7.1 | All versions | 1.1.1d-150200.11.91.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 1.1.1d-150200.11.91.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 1.1.1d-150200.11.91.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-ESPOS | All versions | 1.1.1l-150400.7.69.1 | | `openssl-3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-ESPOS | All versions | 3.0.8-150400.4.57.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 1.1.1l-150400.7.69.1 | | `openssl-3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 3.0.8-150400.4.57.1 | | `openssl-1_1-livepatches` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP4 | All versions | 0.4-150400.3.11.1 | | `openssl-1_1-livepatches` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP5 | All versions | 0.4-150500.6.8.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 | All versions | 1.1.1d-150200.11.91.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 | All versions | 1.1.1d-150200.11.91.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | All versions | 1.1.1l-150400.7.69.1 | | `openssl-3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | All versions | 3.0.8-150400.4.57.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 | All versions | 1.1.1l-150400.7.69.1 | | `openssl-3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 | All versions | 3.0.8-150400.4.57.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 | All versions | 1.1.1l-150500.17.31.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 | All versions | 1.1.1l-150500.17.31.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP5 | All versions | 1.1.1l-150500.17.31.1 | | `openssl-3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP5 | All versions | 3.0.8-150500.5.36.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 | All versions | 1.1.1w-150600.5.3.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP6 | All versions | 1.1.1w-150600.5.3.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy 15 SP6 | All versions | 1.1.1w-150600.5.3.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 1.1.1d-2.107.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-LTSS | All versions | 1.1.1d-150200.11.91.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 1.1.1d-150200.11.91.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 1.1.1l-150400.7.69.1 | | `openssl-3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 3.0.8-150400.4.57.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 1.1.1d-2.107.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP2 | All versions | 1.1.1d-150200.11.91.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP3 | All versions | 1.1.1d-150200.11.91.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP4 | All versions | 1.1.1l-150400.7.69.1 | | `openssl-3` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP4 | All versions | 3.0.8-150400.4.57.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 1.1.1d-2.107.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Manager Proxy 4.3 | All versions | 1.1.1l-150400.7.69.1 | | `openssl-3` | SUSE:Manager Proxy 4.3 | All versions | 3.0.8-150400.4.57.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | SUSE:Manager Server 4.3 | All versions | 1.1.1l-150400.7.69.1 | | `openssl-3` | SUSE:Manager Server 4.3 | All versions | 3.0.8-150400.4.57.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | openSUSE:Leap 15.5 | All versions | 1.1.1l-150500.17.31.1 | | `openssl-3` | openSUSE:Leap 15.5 | All versions | 3.0.8-150500.5.36.1 | | `openssl-1_1` | openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | All versions | 1.1.1w-150600.5.3.1 | ## How do I fix CVE-2024-4741? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2024-4741 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-4741 in the wild and no public exploit code. ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2024-4741 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2024-4741 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in OpenSSL, published on 13 Nov 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-4741 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected product: OpenSSL. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page. Task: 1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies. 2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it. 3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead. 4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why. 5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing. Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4741/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4741/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-4741 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-4741 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-4741 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4741/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.